Method of and apparatus for annealing glassware



` June 14, 1938.

Witz/L ess:

Filed May 18, 193s w. o. AMSLER METHOD OF' AND APPARATUS FOR ANNEALINGGLASSWARE 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 [n en for: Walez' 0.1412135201' A Iorlz @yaW. O. AMSLER June 14, 1938.

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR ANNEALING GLASSWARE Filed May 18, 1936 3Sheets-Sheet 2 In @en for WaltePAmsZer A Hoz/'fz @ya Witness:

www

W. O. AMSLER `Iune 14, 1938.

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR ANNEALING GLASSWARE iled May 18, 1936 3Shetslsheet :s

In @en for Waler QAmslez wmf? lorn qqs.

, Wifi/Less Patented June 14, 1938 METHOD F AND APPARATUS FOR ANNEAL- zING GLA'SSWARE Walter 0. Amsler, Toledo, Ohio, assignor toHartford-Empire Company, Hartford, Conn., a corporation of DelawareApplication May 18,' 1936, Serial No. 80,254

27 Claims.

' Ihis invention relates to a method of and apparatus for annealingglassware, and more particularly to such a method and apparatus whereinthe .glassware is passed through an annealing lehr of the elongatetunnel/ type and heat is transferred longitudinallyof the tunnel bymechanical means, such as a mass of high heat capacity, movinglongitudinally of and within the tunnel at a speedsubstantiallyindependent l0 lof the speed of movement of the glassware, in.

order to control the temperature gradient in the tunnel and hence thatin the ware passing therethrough. o. f

. In the prior art of sometime ago, the annealv l5 ^ing of glassware wasaccomplished by passing the ware upon relatively solid and heavymetallic conveyors of high heat mass through annealing tunnels whichwere of heavy masonry construe/- tion. Due to .the lack of adequatetemperatiire veyors, the results were relatively unsatisfactory ascompared with most modern lehrs.

One of the difculties with which such old lehrs had to contend was theeffect of the movement of the high heat mass conveyor longitudinally ofthe tunnel, resulting in the movement of heat along vthe tunnel at a.speed and in such t amount that it could not be controlledto produce adesired temperature gradient independently of gradient. However, in allsuch modern lehrs there may be sudden, if small, drops in thetemperature in the tunnel at the 'points where the speciiic temperaturecontrol is effected.

It is also known that the desired temperature gradient in glasswarepassing through a tunnel is smooth and uninterrupted by any` abruptchanges in temperature except possibly as hereinafter pointed out. Thisdesired smooth gradient should start adjacent tov the entrance end ofthe lehr at a relatively high point, usuallybetween 1000 and l100 F. formost `-types of gla'ssware, and drop at la relatively slowbiitfsubstanreaches its low lannealing point?, eby -which ris controland due to the high heat mass of the conestablish substantially adesired temperature,

tially ysmooth and continuous rate amtil the ware meant the temperaturebelow which permanent strains cannot beintroduced into the ware. Thatis, ware belowthis temperature may be subjected4 to temporary strainsdue to temperature diierences indifferent parts of an article which may5 and sometimes do increase to the point of breaking the ware. However,if ware is properly annealed in bringing its temperature down to andthrough the low annealing point, any strains introduced thereafter atlower temperature ranges, if they do not `break the ware during thecooling, will disappear when the article is nally cooled, to the endthatthe article as nally cooled will have the identical straincharacteristics of that article when it has been brought down to its lowannealing point. It is usual in glassanhealing lehrs to increase therate oi cooling sub- Asequent to bringing the ware down to its lowannealing point, to the highest rate which can normally be maintainedwithout subjecting the articles being annealed to strains sufficient torupture them.

' Among the objects of my present invention is to provide a method andan apparatus which will enable the maintenance in a lehr of thedesiredsmooth temperature gradient without abrupt changes by the use of one ormore moving masses of high heat' capacity, in which the movement ofthese heat conveyors. as they may be called is not limited by themovement of the ware through the tunnel.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a novel methodand apparatus as above set forth by which heat may be drawn forwardly ofthe lehr, that is, toward the ware-entering end thereof to provide thedesired relatively high temperature at this end.

A further object of the present invention is to provide .for the use ofa heat conveyor, that is, a movable means of high heat capacity in thecooling portion of the tunnel for assisting in the abstracting of heatfrom the ware in order to accelerate the normal rate of cooling thereof,while at the same time maintaining a 'desired temperature gradient inthe ware passing through 45 this portion of the tunnel.

Ililurther'objects and advantages of my present invention will becoiieapparent from the following yspecification and appended claims whentaken in A'connection `with the accompanying drawings, in which:

.'iligures Si and 2, when vplaced end toend, make up ya view:substantially in vertical longitudinal y section of aan annealing lehrconstructed accordingto my invention, and .'ior carryingpiit-the 55Vmethods thereof, the view being diagrammatic in character;

Fig. 3 is a view substantially in Vertical transverse section taken onthe line 3--3 of Fig. l.;

Fig. 4 is a view substantially in vertical transverse section taken onthe line of Fig. 2; and

Figs. 5 and 6 when placed end to end illustrate a modified form ofannealing lehr also embody-I ing my invention, the view being invertical longitudinal section similar to Figs. l and 2.

Referring now to Figs. l to 4 wherein I have diagrammaticallyillustrated a lehr embodying my invention, there is shown a tunnel I,which may be built up'in any suitable or desired manner, such as thosenow Well known in the art, andincludes insulated top, side and bottomwalls 2, the insulation being tapered as illustrated at 3, Fig. 2, andterminating substantially at the point d in that figure, so that theremainder of the tunnel indicated at 5 may be uninsulated and of anysuitable construction, usually of sheet metal. The tunnel I and itsinsulation are shown as supported conventionally upon a plurality oflegs 6, which may rest directly on the iioor, as shown, or may beprovided with suitable wheels or casters to permit the movement of thelehr as desired. Inasmuch as such wheels or casters'are old in the art,it is not thought necessary` to illustrate them.

The ware may be conveyed through the lehr in any suitable manner, but Ihave chosen to illustrate diagrammatically by parallel broken lines at 1an endless conveyor, which is preferably of low heat mass and may, forexample, be constructed in the same manner as the endless woven Wireconveyors now in common use in many commercial glassware annealinglehrs. As shown, both strands of the conveyor 1 extend through thetunnel in the form of the invention shown in Figs. 1 to 4, the conveyor1 passing around a suitable roller 8 adjacent to the forward end of thetunnel. Suitable means (not shown) may be provided for moving theconveyor 1 in a manner which is now well known in the art, such meansbeing illustrated for example in the patent to Mulholland No. 1,560,481,granted Nov. 3, 1925. Suitable means may also be employed forAsupporting the ware bearing and return strands of the conveyor 1, butinasmuch as 'the supporting means form per se no part of the presentinvention, they have not been lspecically illustrated. d

Means 7are provided for supplying heat to the tunnel, preferably frombeneath the path of the ware, such means in the present instancecomprising a fire box 9 having associated therewith a flue or iiues I0extending longitudinally beneath a portion of the tunnel as shown inFig. 1. 'I'he nre box 9 is provided with means forvgenerating hotproducts of combustion therein, including a burner diagrammaticallyshown at II through which a fluid fuel, such as gas or oil, maybeintroduced in any suitable manner.` There is also admitted/ to theflrebox 9 air to support combustion and also, if desired, to dilute theproducts of combustion` to substantially the temperature to which it isdesired to reduce such products before they are introduced into the iuesI0. The passage for gases from the iire box 9 to the flues I0 as definedby bailles I2 and I3, so that the gases must pass in a tortuous path inwhich combustion is normally completed.

Means are provided for exhausting the gases from the flues I0, includingsaddle pipes I4 (Figs.

1 and 3), which may be controlled by suitable dampers. as indicateddiagrammatically yat I5,

Fig. 1. These pipes both lead the gases to the interior of a hood I6,from which the gases may pass to a stack or outlet pipe I1 leading tosome suitable exhaust point. I f desired, a damper I8 may be provided inthe stack I1 as shown.

It will be noted that the interior of the' hood I6 also communicatesthrough an opening I9 with the interior of the tunnel and through thisopening some of the tunnel atmosphere may pass by the inductive actionof the stack to exhaust with the gases from the ilue II'I. In practice,this may be employed by a relative adjustment of the dampers I5 and I8to cause an inflow of atmospheric air at the exit end of the lehrserving by its countercurrent flow through the tunnel to assist incooling the Ware in this portion thereof. Flow through the hotterportion of the tunnel, however, is preferably kept at a minimum bymaintaining the front door 20 of the tunnel closed as far as possiblewhile leaving an opening of suflicient size for the introduction of theware.

Other means, such as one or more curtains, as shown at 2l, Fig. 5, maybe employed along the hotter portion of the tunnel for minimizing theflow of air into the hotter end thereof and out the exhaust opening I9to the stack. It will be understood that if desired a suitable fan orother exhaust-impelling means, such as are now common in the commercialart, may be employed in conjunction with the passage or stack I1, butthat these means per se form no part of the present invention and henceare not illustrated.

With the structure thus far described, no means have been provided otherthan the normal rate of dissipation of heat from the ware and from thegases passing through the flue I0 for controlling the temperaturegradient in the heated portion of the tunnel, which may for practicalpurposes be considered as that portion extending from the entrance endthereof to a point under the hood I 6 where the heated gases arewithdrawn from the ue IIJ and conducted away from the lehr. Under thesecircumstances, the desired gradient probably would not be obtained,except possibly where a particular rate of loading of rial of high heatcapacity movable longitudinally of the lehr. The expression, a mass ofhigh heat capacity, is intended to exclude all gases, such as air andproducts of combustion. The expression when used hereinafter in thespecincation and in the appended claims is 'to be so interpreted andconstrued. More specifically, the heat conveyor shown at 22 may comprisea relatively heavy pan-type conveyor, similar in some respects at leastto the ware conveyors used in the lehrs of the older prior art, the pansor panels being pivotally connected together, so that Vthe conveyor as awhole is an endless flexible metallic means of high heat capacity; thesole purpose of which in this embodiment of the invention is to conveyheat.

The conveyor 22 is mounted and moved so that the lower` strand 23thereof travels forwardly of the lehr and is supported by the top of theflue Ill so as to be in good heat transferring relation therewith, bothby conduction and radiation. I The conveyor 22 passes around rollers orsprocket 75 2,120,154? Wheels 24 and 25, the latter of which may bedriven in any suitable manner.- The upper strand of the heat conveyor 22may be supported, as best shown in Fig. 3, upon suitable angles 26secured to the sides of the lehr tunnel to move in a path immediatelybelow the return or idle strand of the ware conveyor 1 and support it ifdesired., The directions of movements of the various strands of the twoconveyors 'I and 22 are shown, by the arrows in Fig. 1.

For driving the heat conveyor 22, the roller or sprocket wheels 25 ismounted upon a shaft 21, which extends through at least one side wall ofthe lehr and is provided outside the lehr with a suitable pulley orsprocket wheel indicated at 28, which is driven through a flexibledriving means 29 from a drive roller or sprocket wheel 30 of a speedchanging device 3l, which may be of any suitable commercial type nowavailable for purchase in the openl market, such, for ,ex-

ample, as the Reeves Drive. The speed chang-` ing device 3| may bedriven through an endless flexible driving means 32 from a suitablesource of power, such, forexample, as an electric motor 33. Thus, if itbe assumed that the motor 33 or other driving means employed is operatedat a constant speed, the speed ofthe movement of the heat conveyor 22may still be varied as desired by the speed changing device 3l. Alsothis speed may be and in practice is controlled independently of thespeed of movement of the ware conveyor 1, i. e., equal to or differentfrom the speed of the ware conveyor, in order to attain the desiredresults from the point of view of the temperature gradient in the lehr.In practice, the speed is selected in accordance with the requirementsfor heat of the ware in passing through the hotter vzone of the lehr.

The lov/er strand 23 of the heat conveyor in moving over the top of theflue i will accumulate heat and move it mechanically toward the forwardend of the lehr, this elect in practice being much greater than theopposing eect of the upper strand of the heat conveyor 22 moving towardthe rear of the lehr and the two strands having a joint effect ofmaintaining an uninterrupted smooth temperature gradient throughout thezone in which the heat conveyor 22 is located. At the same time thelower strand 23 of the heat conveyor 22 is accumulating heat, the upperstrandof the conveyor 22 is giving o its heat to the ware and to thesides and top of the tunnel, so that elements of the heat conveyorarrive at the roller or sprockets 25 at a temperature lower than theirtemperature at the roller or sprockets 24, thus controlling by the largemass of -high heat capacity moving along the lehr the temperaturegradient in the tunnel and in the ware. It will be seen by varying thespeed of movement of the heat conveyor, the temperature gradient may beadjusted to the desired point to compensate to a material extent atleast for variations in the vheat input into the tunnel in theglassware,due

principally to variations in the weight of glass being loaded into thelehr and to a relatively lesser extent to variations in the temperatureat which the glass is introduced into the lehr.

Associated with the cooling portion of the tunnel, which is shown inFig. 2 and overlapping to a slight extent the longitudinal extent of theheat conveyor 22 (Fig. 1) is a second heat conveyor 34, this conveyorbeing disposed above the path of the ware and having its lower strandonly within the tunnel, the upper strand returning toward the exit endof the lehr above the tunnel.

The heat conveyor 34 passes around an idle roller or sprocket wheels 35adjacent to the exit end I of the tunnel, as shown in Fig. 2, and arounda driving roller or sprocket wheels 36, Fig. 1. The lower strand may besupported as shown upon angles 31 suitably secured to the sides of thelehr and the upper strand on angles 38 secured by suitable bracketsshown best in Fig. 4 to the top of the lehr onthe outside thereof.

The two strands of the conveyor 3 4 are adapted to move in the directionof the arrows, Figs. 1 and 2, that is, the lower strand within thetunnel moves in the direction opposite that of the movement of the warethrough the tunnel. For driving the heat conveyor 34, the roller orsprockets 36- is mounted upon a transverse shaft 39, which carriesoutside the lehr a sprocket wheel or pulley 4l), this wheel or pulleybeing connected by a' suitable endless flexible driving means 4| withthe driving roller or sprocket 42 of an adjustable speed-changing device43,- which may be similar to the speed-changing device 3ly abovereferred to. The speed changing device 43 may in turn be driven by a'suitable exible driving means 44 by any suitable source of power, whichin the present instance is also illustrated as the motor 33.

The lower strand of the heat conveyor 34, which is in heat transferringrelation with the ware passing through the cooling portion of the lehr,will accumulate a material amount of heat from the ware due to its largeheat mass and will carry this heat outside the lehr where it may be)dissipated from the upper or return strand of the heat conveyor tfo thesurrounding atmosphere. Also, due to the -countercurrent movements ofthe glassware and the lower strand of the heat conveyor, this strandwill become gradually heated as itmoves toward the entrance end of thetunnel, so that the Ware at any given part of the tunnel will not be inheat transferring relation with a portion of the conveyor diering toogreatly in temperature from the ware. In this way, I am enabled toaugment the rate of abstraction of heat and heat ,dissipation from theware through the cooler zone thereof and accelerate the cooling toestablish a desired temperature ybut slightly changed the same referencecharacters plus an exponent are used. Illhe tunnel of .the lehr may beconstructed in substantially the same way as previously described, or inany other suitable or equivalent manner, and may be supported also inthe same way as described for the previous form of the invention.

The ware is carried through the tunnel of this form upon a conveyor 1awhichmay be of the same construction per se as that previouslydescribed, the `difference here being that in this form of the inventionthe return strand of the ware conveyor is brought back to the entranceend of the lehr beneath the tunnel .and passes through a suitableaperture 45, as shown in Fig. 5, to the roller 8 at -the entrance end ofthe lehr, this return strand being supported and guided by suitablespaced rollers 4 6, y41 and 48 as shown. It will be understood that thedriving means for the ware conveyor 1a of this form of the invention maybe the same as or similar to that con- The heat supplying means shown inFig. associated with the hotter portion of the lehr tunnel may besubstantially the same as those previously described and are referred toby the same reference characters, with the exception that the hood IGais of slightly different form than the hood i6, due to the fact that theheat conveyors associated with this form of the invention, ashereinafter to be described, do not overlap one another longitudinallyof the lehr.

In this case, the heat conveyor 22 is essentially the same as thecorrespondingly numbered heat conveyor, shown in Fig. 1 and is similarlymounted for movement upon rollers or sprocket wheels 2li and 25, thelatter being driven by being mounted upon a shaft 2l to which is secureda driving sprocket or pulley 2S driven by a exible driving means or belt29 from the speed changing device 3l, and that device similarlyreceiving its power from a motor 33a. In this case, howover, the motoriais employed solely for driving the heat conveyor in the hotter end ofthe lehr and a separate motor hereinafter to be described is employedfor driving the other heat conveyor. This modification may be resortedto if desired.

As shown, the motor 33a has connected therewith line wires Q9 having asuitable switch conventionally illustrated at 5@ interposed therein, sothat the motor 33a may be stopped if desired, in order that the heatconveyor 22 be completely stopped while the heat conveyor in the coolerportion of the lehr later to be described may be continued in operation.It is contemplated that this manner of operation may be employed shouldit be desired.

Intermediate the upper and lower strands of the heat conveyor 22 asshown in Fig. 5, I provide a means for retarding the passage of. heatbetween the strands of the heat conveyor, such means being generallyindicated as a wall 5l. This wall may also be of varying thickness or ofheat transferring ability from end to end thereof, and as shown is`relatively thinner toward the hotter end of the lehr and relativelythicker toward the cooler end thereof. In practice, this wall may bemade up of a plurality of independently adjustable louvres 52 which,when all are closed, form the wall as shown. Any suitable means may beemployed outside the lehr for effecting an adjustment of the individuallouvres 52, such for example as hand cranks associated with each of thelouvres. Also, if desired, any suitable means such as are known in theart foreffecting progressive adjustments in bank of a plurality of of.the lehr, these adjustments including the adjustment of the rate of heatsupply tothe re box 9 and -the draft therefrom, the adjustment of thespeed of movement of the heat conveyor 22 and the adjustment of theseveral louvres.

Also in Fig. 5, in the hotter zone of the lehr, I have illustrated afurther modification of the Fig. 1 form of tne invention, in which amat-erial portion at least of the Ware conveyor 'la is supporteddirectly upon the upper strand of the heat conveyor 22. This arrangementmay be resorted to if desired. It will be understood, however, thatunder these circumstances, ,the speed of the heat conveyor is onlypartially independent of the speed 'of the ware conveyor, as it is inpractice undesirable to operatev the heat con-,- veyor faster than theware conveyor, due to the fact that the ware-bearing strand of thelatter is normally under tension, being drawn through the lehr by thedriving means associated therewith. than the ware conveyor, it wouldtend to buckle up portions of. the latter and upset the ware thereon.Within those limits, however, the heat conveyor may be moved at anydesired speed slower than that of the ware conveyor, or at the samespeed. -This limitation, however, is not present in the form of theinvention shown in Fig. l, as the adjacent strands of the two conveyorsare traveling in opposite directions, as is indicated by the arrows inthat figure.

The heat conveyor 3d' shown in Figs. 5- and 6 If the heat conveyorshould move faster v may be constructed, mounted .and operated in'substantially the same way as the corresponding means previouslydescribed, the principal differ.- ence being that the driving roller orsprockets 36 are disposed further along the lehr than thecorrespondingly numbered means of Fig. 1. The drive for the shaft 39through the flexible driving means di and speed changing device 43 iseffected by a separate motor 33h, which has its own individual powerline supply 49h and switch 58h. In this lway the two heat conveyors maybe operated .not only at independent speeds but either may be stoppe-dentirely without interfering with the operation of the other.

In addition in Fig. 6, I have shown a means for accelerating the coolingor rate of heat dissipation from the upper strand of the heat conveyor3&3 above the lehr, such means in the present instance comprising ablower 53 arranged to direct a stream of air through a nozzle 55 ontothe upper strand of the heat conveyor 34 and thus accelerate the coolingthereof prior to the entrance of portions of the conveyor into the lehr.The blower 53 may be driven by any suitable source of power, herediagrammatically illus- 'trated as an electric motor 55. It Will beunderstood that any suitable means vmay be used for accelerating thecooling of the heat conveyor as 'may be desired in order to meet actualconditions in the .use of the device. l

By the use of means such for example as those herein disclosed, and bythe practice of the method as herein taught, I am enabled to obtain adesired temperature gradient in a lehr and substantially to eliminateany sharp breaks or variations in this gradient, except perhaps at somepoint adjacent to the` boundary between the heated zone of the lehrandthe cooling zone thereof, and even here especially by the use of Voverlapping heat conveyors as shown in Fig. 1,

this variation in the rate of cooling or heat dissipation from the wareduring its annealing may be made a relatively smooth curve. Also, by theseveral means hereinabove described, I am enabled to control accuratelythe temperature gradient in the lehr and to obtain the desired gradientWithin relatively narrow limits. It will .be understood that thetemperature gradient will normally be so disposed longitudinally of thelehr in coordination with the speed of movement of the ware that thetransition point or zone between the heated portion of the lehr and thecooling portion thereof will be made to approximate the point Where theglassware passing therethrough is cooled through its low annealingtemperature or point as .above defined, so that the rate'of cooling ofthe ware through its annealing range, that is, the range above the lowanat one value, while the rate of cooling below this point may bemaintained at another and different value.

It will be understood that while I have illus'- trated two embodimentsof my invention, various changes may be made therein and certain of theindependent features maybe used without others; for example, but oneheat conveyor may be employed in a portion of a lehr with advantage overcertain prior art methods or types of construction. I do not wish to belimited, therefore, except by the scope of the appended claims, whichare to be construed as broadly as the state of the prior art permits.

I claim: i

1. The method of annealing glassware, which comprises establishing andmaintaining vin an insulated tunnel a selected temperature gradient, bymoving a mass of high heat capacity within and longitudinally of saidtunnel at a rate selected in accordance ywith theheat characteristics ofthe tunnel and of the ware to be annealed, and passing the ware throughthe tunnel to eect its annealing..

2. The method of annealing glassware, which comprises conveyingglassware through an elongate tunnel/, applying heat to the tunnelbeneathv the ware, and regulatingthe temperature gradient through aportion of the tunnel to effect a given stage of annealing by moving abody of high heat capacity longitudinally of the tunnel beneath the wareat a rate selected so as to establish a desired temperature gradient inthe ware. `3. The method of annealing glassware, which comprises passingthe ware through an elongate tunnel, establishing and maintaining-in thetunnel a selected temperature gradient, :and regulating the temperaturegradient longitudinally vof the tunnel by moving therethrough a mass ofhigh heat capacity at a rate selected in accordance with the heatcharacteristics of the tunnel and of the ware to be annealed andindependent of the rate of movement of the ware therethrough.

4. The method of annealing glassware, which comprises passing the vwarethrough an elongate tunnel, supplying heat to the tunnel beneath thepath of the ware therethrough, moving a mass of high heat capacitylongitudinally of the tunnel in a path intermediate the source of heatsupply thereto and the path of the ware to establish and maintain asmooth temperature gradient inI the portion of the tunnel through whichthe high heat capacity mass travels, and selectively controlling therate of movement of the high heat capacity mass in accordance with thetemperatures in the portion of the tunnel through which itis moved.

5. The method of annealing glassware, comprising passing the warethrough an elongate tunnel, and regulating the temperature gradient in aportion at least of said tunnel by moving a mass of high heat capacityin said tunnel in an orbital path having its principal dimensionlongitudinally of said tunnel.

6. The method of annealing glassware, which comprises passing the warethrough an elongate tunnel, passing heated gases in a pathlongitudinally of said tunnel and in heat transferring of said tunnel,moving a mass of high heat capacity longitudinally of said tunnel andwholly within said portion thereof, and controlling the temperaturegradient in said tunnel by controlling the amount of heat -capacityseparate and supplied thereto and the rate of movement of said mass incoordination with the amount of glassware passing therethrough and therate of its movement to establish a desired temperature gradient insaidportion of the tunnel.

7. The method of annealing glassware, which comprises passing the warethrough anelongate tunnel, and causing a flow of heat longitudinally ofthe tunnel by moving therealong a mass of high heat capacity at a speedindependent of the speed of movement of the Ware therethrough.

8. The method of annealing glassware, comprising passing the warethrough an elongate tunnel, causing a flow oi heat longitudinally of thetunnel in a hotter zone thereof by moving therealong a mass of high heatcapacity at a speedindependent of the speed of movement of the waretherethrough, and causing a ilow of heat longitudinally of the tunnel ina cooler zone thereof by moving along said cooler zone and within thetunnel another mass` of high heat capacity at a speed independent of thespeed of movement of the ware therethrough.

9. The method of annealing glassware, which comprises passing theglassware through an elongate tunnel, and causing a flow of heatlongitudinally of a cooling portion in said tunnel by moving therealongin such portion a mass of high heat capacityat .a speed independent ofthe speed of movement of the Ware therethrough.

l0. The method of annealing glassware, which comprises passing the Warethrough an elongate tunnel, 'causing a flow of heat longitudinally ofthe'hotter portion of said tunnel by moving there--v along in suchportion a mass of high-heat capacity, causing a flow of heatlongitudinally of the tunnel in a cooler portion thereof by movingtherealong in such cooler portion a mass of high heat capacity, andcontrolling the temperature gradient longitudinally of said tunnel byindependently regulating the speeds of movement of the masses of highheat capacity moving in the ing means, and means for moving said mass ini and longitudinally of said tunnel to convey heat longitudinallythereof.

l2. Apparatus for annealing glassware, comprising an elongate tunnel,means for conveying glassware therethrough, a mass of high heat capacityseparate and distinct from said conveying means, means mounting saidmass for movement in anv orbital path at least a part of which lies inand longitudinally 'of said tunnel, and means for moving said mass alongsaid path.

13. Apparatus for annealing glassware, comprising an elongate tunnel,means for conveying glassware therethrough, an endless exible heatconveying means separate and distinct from said glassware conveyingmeans, means mounting said heat conveying means for movement in respectto said tunnel and with at least one strand thererelation therewith butout of contact with` the of movable in and longitudinally 0f Saidtunnel,

' glassware along a portion and means for moving said heat conveyingmeans. 14. Apparatus for annealing glassware,` cornprising an elongatetunnel, means for conveying glassware therethrough, a mass of high heatdistinct from said conveying means, means for moving said mass in andlongitudinally of said tunnel to convey heat longitudinally thereof, andmeans for adjustably varying the speed of movement of said mass forcontrolling the temperature gradient in said tunnel.

15. Apparatus for annealing glassware, comprising an elongate tunnel,means for conveying glassware therethrough, means for supplying heat to`a portion of said tunnel, a mass of high heat capacity separate anddistinct from said conveying means, and means for moving said mass inand. longitudinally of said portion of said tunnel to convey heatlongitudinally thereof.

16. Apparatus for annealing glassware, comprising an elongate tunnel,means for conveying glassware therethrough, means for supplying heat toa portion of said tunnel from beneath the path of the ware therethrough,a mass of high heat capacity separate and distinct from said conveyingmeans, and means for moving said mass in a path intermediate said heatsupplying means and the path of the ware for distributing the heatsupplied to said tunnel and establishing a desired temperature gradientin the portion of the tunnel to which the heat is supplied as aforesaid.

17. Apparatus for annealing glassware, comprising an elongate tunnel,means for conveying glassware therethrough, means for supplying heat toa portion of said tunnel' from beneath the path of the waretherethrough, an endless ilexible heat conveying means separate anddistinct from said conveying means, means mounting said heat conveyingmeans for movement in an orbital path in and longitudinally of saidtunnel and intermediate the portion to which heat is directly suppliedand the path of the ware, means for moving said heat conveying meansalong its path, and means for adjustably varying the speed of movementof said heat conveying means for con-y trolling the temperature gradientin `the heated portion of said tunnel.

18. Apparatus for 4annealing glassware, comprising an elongate tunnel,means for conveyingV glassware therethrough, a mass of high heatcapacity separate and distinct from said conveying means, means formoving said mass in heat transferring relation with the ware during itspassage through a cooling portion of said tunnel to absorb heat from theware and thence for moving said mass to a place where heat absorbed,

thereby from the ware may be dissipated-therefrom.

19. Apparatus for annealing glassware, comprising an'elongate tunnel,means for conveying glassware therethrough, an endless flexible heatconveying means having one strand disposed within said tunnel in heattransferring relation with the glassware passing through the coolingportion thereof and the other strand outside said tunnel, and means formounting and moving said heat conveying means in such manner that thestrand thereof within said tunnel is moved there along in the directionopposite that of the movement of the ware therethrough.

20. Apparatus for annealing glassware, com-l prising an elongate tunnel,means for conveying glassware therethrough, an endless flexible heatconveying means associated with the cooling portion of said tunnel andhaving its lower strand movably mounted in said tunnel above the path ofthe movement of the ware therethrough andits .upper strand disposedabove the tunnel, means mounting said heatconveying means for movementas aforesaid, means for moving said heat conveying means in such mannerthat the lower strand thereof moves toward the hotter end of saidtunnel, and means for adjustably controlling the speed of movement ofsaid heat conveying means to control the rate of abstraction of heatfrom the 'ware thereby and thus to control the temperature gradient inthe ware in passing through the cooling portion of the tunnel.

21. Apparatus for annealing glassware, comprising an elongate tunnel,means for conveying glassware therethrough, a mass of high heat capacityand separate and distinct from said glassware conveying means disposedfor movement in the hotter portion of said tunnel, means for moving saidmass in and longitudinally of the hotter portion of said tunnel toconvey heat longitudinally thereof, a second mass of high heat capacityand separate and distinct from said glassware'conveying means disposedin the'cooler portion of said tunnel, and means for moving said secondmass at least partly within and longitudinally of the cooler portion ofsaid tunnel for conveying heat longitudinally of such portion.

22. Apparatus for annealing glassware, comprising an elongate tunnel,means for conveying glassware therethrough, means for supplying heat toa portion of said tunnel from beneath the p'ath of the waretherethrough, an endless flexible heat conveying means having bothstrands there- Hof disposed in said portion of the tunnel intermediatethe heat supplying means and the path of the ware therethrough, meansfor moving said heat conveying means in its path for controlling thetransmission of heat from the heat supplying means to the ware and thedistribution of heat longitudinally of said tunnel portion, and meansintermediate the upper and lower strands of said heat conveying meansfor controlling the transmission of heat between said strands.

23. Apparatus for annealing glassware, com-- prising an elongate tunnel,means for conveying glassware therethrough, means for supplying heat toa portion of said tunnel from beneath the path of the ware therethrough,an endless flexible heat' conveying means having both strands thereofdisposed in said portion of the tunnel intermediate the heat supplyingmeans and the path of the ware therethrough, means for movingsaidheatconveying means in its path for control-ling the transmission ofheat from the heat supplying means to the ware and the distribution ofheat longitudif nally of said tunnel portion, and a wall of varyingthickness longitudinally of the tunnel intermediate the upper and lowerstrand of said heat conveying means for controlling the transmission ofheat between said strands. Y

24. Apparatus for annealing glassware, comprising an elongate tunnel,means for conveying glassware therethrough, means for supplying heat toa. portion of said tunnel from beneath the path of the waretherethrough, an endless flexible heat conveying means having bothstrands thereof disposed in said portion of the tunnel intermediate theheat supplying means and the path of the ware therethrough, means formoving said heat conveying means in its path for controlling thetransmission of heat from the heat supplying means to the Ware and thedistribution of heat longitudinally of said tunnel portion,

upper and lower strands of said heat conveying means for controlling thetransmission of. heat therebetween and thereby for controlling the,temperature gradient in said portion of the tunportion thereof and theother strand outside nel.

25. Apparatus for annealing glassware, comprising an elongate tunnel,means for conveyingglassware therethrough, means for supplying heat to aportion of said tunnel from beneath the path of the ware therethrough,an 4endless flexible heat conveying means having both strands thereofdisposed in said portion of the tunnel intermediate the heat supplyingmeans and the path of the ware therethrough, means for moving said heatconveying means in its path for controlling the transmission of heatfrom the heat supplying means to the ware and the distribution of heatlongitudinally of said tunnel portion, means for adjustably varying thespeed of `movement of said heat conveying means, and a plurality ofindependently adjustable louvres so constructed and arranged that whenall are closed they form a wall intermediate the upper and lower strandsof said heat conveying means, the adjustment of said louvres operatingin conjunction with the adjusted speed of movement of said heatconveying means to control the temperature gradient in said portion ofthe tunnel. v

26. Apparatus for annealing glassware, coml prising an elongate tunnel,'means for conveying glassware therethrough, an endless flexible heatconveying means having one strand disposed within said tunnel in withthe glassware passing through the cooling heat transferring relationsaid tunnel, meansjor moving said heat conveying means in such mannerand direction that the strand thereof within said tunnel is moved in thedirection opposite that of the movement of the Ware therethrough, andmeans cooperating with the strand of said heat conveying means outsidesaid tunnel for increasing the rate of cooling thereof over that ratewhich would normally take place due to heat dissipation at the placewhere the annealing apparatus is located.

27. Apparatus for annealing glassware, comprising an elongate tunnel,means for conveying glassware therethrough, an endless flexible heatconveying means having one strand disposed within said tunnel in heattransferring relation with th glassware passing through the coolingportion thereof and the other strand outside said tunnel, an aperture inthe wa11 of said tunnel through which said heat conveying means passesin moving from its course within the tunnel to its course outside thetunnel,means for mounting and moving said heat conveying means in itspath to control the temperature gradient in the cooling portion of saidtunnel, and means for withdrawing from said tunnel through said openingsome of the tunnel atmosphere to prevent inow of atmospheric air intothe tunnel through said opening and Vto cause a flow of air into atleast one end of said tunnel and longitudinally thereof to said opening.y

WALTERl O. AMSLER.

